Manufacture of stockings



R. G. GUNTHER MANUFACTURE OF STOCKINGS Sept. 17, 1935.

Filed March 11, 1935 f (I Fig. 2

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5- IG- aZinf/hcr" Patented Sept. 17, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Rudolf Gotthold Gunther, Chemnitz, Germany, assignor to David Richter Aktiengesellschaft,

Chemnitz, Germany Application March 11, 1935, Serial No. 10,537 In Germany January 23, 1933 3 Claims.

' portion of the stocking, which is not being knitted,

presents the greatest difficulty. It has already been proposed to remove the middle part of the presser bar and of the knocking over bar or the middle part of one of the same, but this has the disadvantage that it then becomes necessary to divide besides the needle bar other loop-forming parts as well, or the middle part must be displaced so far that it no longer comes in contact with the knocking over means. This, however, results in stretching or damage to the courses situated between the foot and the heel portion. It has also been proposed, instead of displacing the middle part, only to cause it to swing aside through the spring action of the needle beards, which may however result in damage to the presser edge or fatigue of the needle ends. A Furthermore, according to this proposal the loop is nevertheless brought into contact with the knocking'over member, as knocking over occurs at the usual place.

According to another proposal, in addition to the rocking motion being given to the middle part of the needle bar, an additional motion is imparted to it in the axial direction of the needles, which again may be detrimental for the exacting division of the needle bar and does not admit of a simple construction of the needle bar. It is also known to dispose the pivotal point for the rockable middle part laterally, but in this arrangement as well the loops are still brought in contact with the knocking over means, so that the middle part has to be swung right outfrom the knocking over means. Even special sheet metal members placed between needle end and sinker end for preventing the needles of the middle part being pressed or a special arrangment of different knocking over bits for preventing the loops from becoming damaged by the knocking over bits could not completely overcome the disadvantages.

The present invention overcomes these disadvantages in this way, that, before beginning the heel portions a few courses in the middle portion and the heel portions are knitted separately, the middle part, however, not been drawn out of action and, on commencing the heel, the middle part of the needle bar is drawn out of action, being displaced by an amount corresponding to 5 these courses and remains in this position until the knitting of the heel portions is finished, the needle ends moving upwards in an arc. The pivotal point of the rockable middle part of theneedle bar is so disposed that, as the rocking 10 motion proceeds, the needle ends rapidly occupy a higher position with respect to the knocking over means.

The invention is illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawing in which Fig. 1 shows an arrangementoperating in the lmown manner, in which the knocking over means must be divided or some other device must be adopted for preventing damage to the stationary loops of the middle portion. The pivotal point 20 for the rockable middle part lies in the plane of the needles and remote from the needle ends,

Fig. 2 shows a portion of the stocking being knitted in accordance with the invention and Fig. 3 a constructional example of the inven- 25 tion for bringing the needle end rapidly out of the path of the knocking over means.

The portion l of the stocking is knitted in the ordinary way and at 2 the calf is decreased. The upwardly inclined portions of the heel 3 are reinforced, one thread guide working the base and further thread guides the upwardly inclined portions of the heel 3. At the line a-a one thread guide works the middle portion 1), another thread guide the heel portion 0 and another thread guide the portion d, the upwardly inclined portions of the heel being additionally cast on. At the line ee knitting of the middle portion ceases namely by the amount 1, which can be easily effected, since the heel portions c and d are not connected to the middle portion b. By this means, however, the portion b immediately comes away from the presser, the needles retaining their loops. Work now continues on the heel portions 4 and 5 and after these portions are finished they are either slipped oil or allowed to remain on the needles. The middle portion of the needle bar is then returned to action and the foot is knitted in the known manner. As at the com-. mencement of the knitting of, the heel the middle 50 portion of the needle bar can be immediately withdrawn to move the needles through a short distance, out of the path of the presser bar, it is of L course not necessary to divide the presser bar. Only as many courses 1 will of course be knitted 55 head I in a known manner and are guided at the top by the cover bar 8. The knocking over comb 9 with its knocking over bits 10 is disposed below the sinkers 6 and the needle bar H is supported by the arm II which itself supports the arm IS. The middle part of the needle bar is capable of rocking, so that the needles I can be brought out of their original position away from the sinker head. The rocking motion takes place about the axis I5, but as the latter lies in the downward extension of the planes of the needles H in the construction shown in Fig. 1, the needle tops will sweep through an arc of a circle with the radius R between the knocking over bits. The further the needle tops are swung out, the more will the distance :r increase, which will however result in the loops of the middle portion being stretched or damaged at this place, if the knocking over bits are not brought downwards or other knocking over bits are introduced which allow for this downward motion of the needle tops.

- According to the invention as shown in Fig. 3 the axis I5 is for instance raised and offset from the downward extension of the axes of the needles by the distance k. The needle tops will then describea portion of the arc of a circle having the radius 1'. From Fig. 3 it will be seen that as the rocking motion continues, the tops of the needles ll will move away more and more from the knocking over bits in order to avoid having to swing out the middle portion of the needle bar vfar. Hence with a very small outward rocking movement of the middle part of the needle bar the loops on the needles thereof will be in such a positionthat contact with the knocking over bits will be avoided, the needle tops of the movable middle part of the needle bar being moved upwards by the amount with respect to the tops of the needles which have not been drawn out of action. If the loops do not come into contact with the knocking over bits, the knocking over bar need not be divided. Thus, it is possible when employing the above method to work with normal knocking over devices and normal pressers, it being no longer necessary to displace the middle bits.

portion of the needle bar by a considerable amount but only to ease it of! slightly in order to ensure the removal of the fabric quickly and completely from the detrimental eflect 01' the knocking over the axis I5 is located, the important point being that the needle tops describe the arc of a circle which allows them to move rapidly away from the knocking over bits.

What I claim is:

1. In the method of knitting a stocking in a single operation on a straight bar knitting machine, the steps consisting in knitting a plurality of courses in three separate portions, viz. a middle or instep portion and two heel portions laterally of said instep portion, withdrawing the instep portion out of action by an amount corresponding to said courses, continuing the knitting oi the heel portions alone, returning the instep portion into action after the completion of the knitting of the heel portions and knitting the instep and sole parts together.

2. In a straight bar stocking knitting machine, the combination of means for knocking over the loops with a needle bar having a plurality of needies thereon, said needle bar having a middle part rockable about an axis offset from the plane of the needles so as to enable the needles of the said middle part to be drawn out of action during the knitting of the heel parts of the stocking, the axis of said middle part being so located that during the rocking movement of the middle part of the needle bar the tops of the needles thereon move upwardly in the arc of a circle and avoid contact 'of the knocking-over means with the loops on the said needles.

3. In a straight bar stocking knitting machine, the combination of means for knocking over the loops with a needle bar having a plurality of needles thereon, said needle bar having a middle 40' part rockable about an axis oiIset from the plane of the needles away from the knocking over means so as to enable the needles of the said middle part to be drawn out of action during the knitting of the heel parts of the stocking, the arrangement being such that during the rocking movement of the middle part 01 the needle bar the tops of the needles thereon move rapidly upwardly in the arc of a circle and avoid contact of the knockingover means with the loops on the said needles.

RUDOLF GOTTHOID atm'rnza.

It is of course immaterial in what position 5 

